A client had abdominal surgery this morning.

(A) Drainage from a surgical incision usually proceeds from sanguinous to serosanguinous. (B) Purulent drainage usually indicates infection and should not be seen initially from a surgical incision. (C) Drainage from a surgical incision is initially sanguinous, proceeding to serosanguinous, and then to serous. (D) Catarrhal is a type of exudate seen in upper respiratory infections, not in surgical incisions.